The Highwayman
by Sofipitch
Summary: And who should be waiting there, but the landlord's daughter. The landlord's red lipped daughter, Winry Rockbell. Plating a dark red love knot into her long blonde hair. EdWin
1. Part One

**A/N: This story is a rewrite of Alfred Noyes's poem The Highwayman. But this is not a poem and the Fullmetal Alchemist characters take the place of the original characters. All the phrases that where directly taken from the poem will be written in italics. A highwayman back in old England was a Robin Hood figure. They stole from the rich and gave to the poor.**

-X-

_**Part One**_

The wind blew through the tree, taking hostage stray leaves. They crackled and moaned as they were carried away but could do nothing against their captor. And as they were whisked away they watched the scene carry out below them.

They watched as the highwayman came riding in from the west. The hooves of his horse kicked the dust on the dirt path to and fro. Making small tunnels of dust at its feet with each step it took.

He had come to the moor many times before so it was not unlikely to see him for those who were expecting him. He always approached the Rockbell Inn in the darkness of midnight.

The horse came to a stop and hi dismounted. He wore a French cocked-hat on his head and many ruffles of lace at his collar. A velvet coat and doeskin breeches shield him from the cold. Along with leather boots that made it up to his thigh. The moon struck light to his two weapons of defense. A small hand gun and a rapier, a sword. He was of what is then an old age, now it is considered the prime of youth, twenty-two years old. Trimmed and firm under his many layers of clothing. Long blonde hair braided down his back closed with a single red lace ribbon.

He walks through the inn yard of the Inn with his horse in tow. Making his way towards the windows. He taps his whip against one of the windows. The landlord, Urey Rockbell and his wife, Sara Rockbell are good and asleep. The windows of the inn are all locked, except for one.

He walks over to the unlocked window; hi horse still following closely behind. He whistled a tune and he saw her appear, the landlord's daughter.

She approached him dressed in her nightgown, blue eyes so far dilated they appeared black in the moonlight. A single red lace ribbon plated her hair, identical to his, her long blonde hair.

But they were not alone. Farther in the courtyard someone else was there. Watching them through cold beady, angry eyes. Watching the highwayman, Edward Elric, a very wanted criminal and the landlord's daughter, Winry Rockbell meet in the moonlight. Envy the ostler, a simple stable worker, watched the forbidden lovers meet again as they had the night before, and the night before all the others. He watched him with jealousy as he too loved the landlord's daughter. _The landlord's red lipped daughter. _And he listened to them as he heard Edward say-

_"One kiss my beautiful, sweetheart. I'm after a prize tonight, but I shall be back with the yellow gold before morning light. Yet, if they press me sharply, and harry me through the day, then look for me in the moonlight. Watch for me by moonlight. I'll come to thee by moon light though hell should bar the way."_

He elevated himself back onto his horse, to be able to reach her from the second floor window. She loosened the casement in the window opening, and opened it slowly. She looked at his face, and it burned into her memory, those golden eyes like a brand.

The long blonde tresses cascaded onto him as she leaned out the window. He kissed the locks of hair first before moving to her lips. A gentle goodbye.

They stayed like that for a few seconds, and then he tugged at the reins of his horse and galloped away. Her eyes watched his back already awaiting his return.

Ostler: a stable worker.

Rapier: a type of sword.

Highwayman: a robber that steals from the rich and gives to the poor. Like Robin Hood.


	2. Part Two

_**Part Two**_

Through dawn and noon she waited for his return. But he did not. She would not hear of her lover till night.

At sunset, when it seemed he had to show soon or he could be confirmed dead, they appeared. A redcoat troop, King George's men, came marching from the east. And they stopped, right up at the old inn door.

They did not state their business to the landlord, for they did not have to. They were the King's men, no other explanation was needed. So no act of protest could be made when they grabbed Winry and bound her with ropes at the foot of her bed. Two of the soldiers knelt at her window with muskets at their side. _There was death at every window; and hell at one dark window._ For through Winry's window they could clearly see the path the highwayman would ride.

Once she was tied up they tied a musket below her breast. _"Now, keep good watch," _they said as they kissed her goodbye. The left towards downstairs where they would prepare to grab the highwayman.

Edward's last words to her echoed in her head and she knew just when he would appear again. _"Look for me by moonlight. Watch for me in the moonlight. I'll come to thee in the moonlight, though hell should bar the way."_

She twisted and writhed her hands but the knots were good and tight. They were soon covered in sweat and blood as the movements of roughly woven rope against soft, pale flesh broke skin. But she did not stop and her hands continued clawing for freedom. Till midnight, she finally managed to grab hold of the trigger of the musket. It was now hers'.

The lone finger managed to move the musket's muzzle towards her chest. Right over her heart. And she watched the blackened road, awaiting her lover's return.

The galloping of a horse's hooves could be heard in the distance. All but just a small speck, Edward could be seen in the distance. Riding towards the door of the old inn. The redcoats prepared themselves for what would be a fight to the death. Winry prepared herself, for this would be the last time she would see her lover.

He drew closer and she took one last deep breath. Then her grip on the trigger tightened.

The shot rang through the quiet night. Ripping apart all silence. Edward turned and looked upwards through Winry's bedroom window. His face fell gray as he saw her. Tears threatened to rise, his throat closed up.

Blood streamed down from the gaping hole over her heart. She was as pale as a ghost in the moonlight. Eyes open but lifeless. Winry Rockbell, the landlord's daughter, had sacrificed herself for the life of Edward Elric. She had watched for him in the moonlight, and died in the darkness there.

He was apt to pick up on her warning signal. As he saw the redcoats were drawing near. He cursed the sky for her death and spun his horse around. He waved his rapier threateningly at the redcoats. As he made the dash for his life.

But blood bosomed on his coat. Three holes where agape on his chest. One directly through his heart. His heart that had beat so strongly for justice to the poor and love for Winry Rockbell. His horse was down too. And they fell in death on the highway._ Down like a dog on the highway. And he lay in his blood on the highway, with a bunch of lace at his throat._

_ And still of a winter's night, they say, when the wind is is the trees, when the moon is a ghostly galleon tossed upon cloudy seas, when the road is a ribbon of moonlight over the purple moor, the highwayman comes riding, riding, riding, up to the old in door._

_ Over the cobbles he clatters and clangs on the shudders, but all is locked and barred. He whistles a tune to the window, and who should be waiting there, but the landlord's black-eyed daughter, _Winry_, the landlord's daughter. Plaiting a dark red love knot into her long_ blonde_ hair._

A/N: I read this poem in reading class and just had to rewrite it for FMA. I just had to. I recommend reading the poem. It's actually very good.


End file.
